2 1/2 hrs

R

ralphbrynard

New Member
Hey guys,

So I have had two flights so far and things are awesome!

My question is, how long after initiating training should you expect to be able to land?

I have approaches down pretty well (still struggle with staying ahead of the airplane... so much going on!) but am over anticipating the touch-down. I realized how pronounced ground effect is on my last flight, so I think I have a better idea as to how the whole level-off, flare should go.

Also, does anyone have any tips for a student pilot? I.E. A way to measure rudder pressure and throttle during take off (to counter-act left turning tendency.)Or staying ahead of the airplane?
 
There is only one speed when it comes to flying:

Right the first time!

If you try and rush things you will regret it.

Flight training comes with very steep learning curves and sometimes long learning plateaus. Some people get it in a few hours, some people fly for 150 hours and can't land. Statistics being the science it is, you will fall someplace in the middle.

Take your time, study hard, and enjoy it. Those are the secrets to flying.
 
great!

I tend to be very competitive so I know I am trying to make sure I am excelling and doing my best every time. I need to remember that I only have 2 1/2 hrs so far...

My instructor did tell me that as far as my understanding, motorskills and coordination, I am flying at the same level as someone who has around 11-15 hrs

I know too I need to be a little more confident in the airplane and just "fly the thing."

Thanks for the advice so far!
 
Try this out. A landing has 3 phases. Approach, roundout, and touchdown. Now, the flare in is the touchdown phase, not roundout.

So:

Choose your aiming point, and a touchdown point about 200' beyond that. Now, on final, hold your aim point in the windshield. Unless you have windgusts, it shouldn't move. Now, if your power is right, you'll be right on speed and approach angle the whole way down. Don't let that aim point move... in your mind, imagine you're going to hit it... dead on.

Now, when you're about 2-3 seconds from hitting it, bring the airplane into the roundout, aka... fly straight and level. Trust me, don't flare, you've got too much speed, just fly 2-5 feet above the ground, and straight. Now, once the controls start to feel a little weak when they do in slow flight...

Touchdown phase... you need to go from straight and level, to raising the nose so your mains can touch first. Then allow the airplane to settle... not thump... onto the runway.

Usually this helps. Now, if you've got a crosswind, just use your feet to make the nose go straight, and use your ailerons to slide left or right.

Hope that helps ya!
 
ralphbrynard said:
great!

I tend to be very competitive so I know I am trying to make sure I am excelling and doing my best every time. I need to remember that I only have 2 1/2 hrs so far...

My instructor did tell me that as far as my understanding, motorskills and coordination, I am flying at the same level as someone who has around 11-15 hrs

I know too I need to be a little more confident in the airplane and just "fly the thing."

Thanks for the advice so far!
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your only competing against yourself. It took me about 500 hours before I REALLY learned how to land and impresses other pilots with landing the plane. Sure 10 hours you'll start to get the feel for it, but I think it takes a while before you will have it solid.
 
ralphbrynard said:
great!

I tend to be very competitive so I know I am trying to make sure I am excelling and doing my best every time. I need to remember that I only have 2 1/2 hrs so far...

My instructor did tell me that as far as my understanding, motorskills and coordination, I am flying at the same level as someone who has around 11-15 hrs

I know too I need to be a little more confident in the airplane and just "fly the thing."

Thanks for the advice so far!
Click to expand...

This ain't a race. You do not get points for doing things more quickly. Just relax and enjoy it. You will find things you're good at with aviation, and you will find things that are difficult and take time. When I instructed I had guys that could land with little wind in 3 hours, others took upwards of 20. But landings are something you will work on for much of your career. Once you start getting into different planes, bad weather, and other things you can start to see that landings can be occasionally difficult. It's good you're wanting to do your best every time, that will serve you well. This may sound cliche, but training will take as long as it takes, so enjoy the ride. :beer:
 
Like others have said, just relax & don't rush things. It took me a long time to get the landings but maybe I"m just a slow learner. Everyone's different & the hours it takes for training counts in your total time. Good luck w/ the training.
 
ralphbrynard said:
we did maneuvers my first lesson and then spent the bulk of the second doing maneuvers. We did three touch and goes.
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That's good. You'll learn to anticipate things like the right amount of rudder pressure and the level off and flare on landings. You know you're going to need more rudder when you are slow because the left turning tenancies are stronger and your control effectiveness is less so you can relax the pressure as you accelerate and then add just a little when you raise the nose. It's not something you can learn after 3 or 4 takeoffs and landings. My advice would be just try to do a little bit better every flight even after you pass the checkride. Don't just go through the motions of flying actually try and analyze everything you did right and wrong and then come up with a plan for your next try.
 
Most people, as I recall from my instructor days, were soloing somewhere from 10 to 20 hours. Obviously you'll be landing on your own before the solo, but your instructor is going to make sure you really "get it" before he cuts you loose. Don't worry and don't rush it. You'll be pranging landings on solos like a pro before you know it. :D
 
I had problems pre-solo( twice as many hours as my younger fellow students)staying ahead of the plane cause we were ab initio in M20S Mooneys.
What finally got the plan to come together was drawing a colored diagram upon a whiteboard on the wall of a full sequence. I numbered each step of the entire sequence in various colors for call outs to power settings to gear input. I studied that, copied it onto paper and went over it first in sections until I could recant the entire sequence start to finish.
The next time I flew, I got signed off for my solo.
 
ralphbrynard said:
My question is, how long after initiating training should you expect to be able to land?
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How long after birth should you expect a baby to walk. It's different for everyone! You just practise and practise, then you eventually get the hang of it. I, myself, took till I had about 10 hours in my logbook and probably 50-75 landings till I had the hang of it.
 
So I had my third flight today (it's been five days since my last one.) I thought todays flight when really well because I was much more focussed, less jittery. Taxiing was much smoother, and I did some radio communications today too.

Take-offs were much better, and although I fumbled a few times through the crosswind, and downwind legs, I was able to land for the first time by myself today!

I know I need to maintain aft elevator pressure and hold the nose to bleed off airspeed for as long as I can, and I need to practice the procedures until they become second nature.

(IE, climb to min safe alt, raise flaps, etc...)

Thanks for the advice guys! My next goal is to work towards soloing at 10hrs. (don't worry, I am not trying to rush, just pushing myself towards progress at a safe pace.)
 
ralphbrynard said:
great!


My instructor did tell me that as far as my understanding, motorskills and coordination, I am flying at the same level as someone who has around 11-15 hrs
Click to expand...

My instructor told me the same thing around the same flying time! Is this some sort of secret instructor-speak to keep you spending your money?!?!

...still took me 70 hours to finish (only available on weekends)
 
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